2005 preview: China pushes ahead with levitating trains

FOR a vehicle that floats on air, the magnetic levitation passenger train has had a pretty bumpy ride in recent years. One-time supporters have turned their backs on it, grants have been cut and planned lines cancelled. Yet maglev could still come good, and it all depends on what happens in 2005.

The brightest signs of hope are in the east. China has the world's most ambitious maglev line, a system that zips passengers along 30 kilometres of track between Shanghai's Pudong airport and the city's financial district. Electromagnets in the underside of the train repel the steel-plated electromagnetic track, causing the vehicle to float about a centimetre above. By adjusting the strength and polarity of the electromagnets, the train is moved along at speeds up to 430 kilometres per hour. The Shanghai line began a limited service last year, and in 2005, it should become fully operational, day and ...

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